


I'll Be Home for Christmas

by Burgie



Series: 12 Days of Ficsmas 2017 [12]
Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 21:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13175355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Everyone comes home for Christmas. Zelda belongs to ZDusk.





	I'll Be Home for Christmas

Alex didn’t take Anne back to the druid Christmas party. No, they’d abandoned her, so they didn’t get to see her. Instead, Alex showed up in Moorland, a weary and pink-dusted Anne leaning on her shoulder. When Thomas Moorland opened the door, he looked surprised.

“Is there room at the inn for two more?” asked Alex, giving him a wry smile. Thomas looked outside.

“You’re not going to give birth to the saviour in here, are you?” asked Thomas, blinking in surprise to see the lost girl right here on his doorstep. Alex laughed.

“Would you offer us a stable if we were?” asked Alex. Even Anne managed a faint smile, resting her cheek on her interlaced fingers on Alex’s shoulder. Alex’s arm was curled about her waist, trembling slightly.

“Come on in,” said Thomas with a chuckle, moving aside to permit them entrance. Warm, cinnamon-scented air washed over them, the light warm and welcoming as Alex stepped inside, the warmth enveloping her.

“Oh, this is much better,” said Anne with a sigh of relief, relaxing as she spotted only familiar, warm faces.

“Looks like this is a Christmas party for lost people,” said Alex, spying Justin Moorland cuddled up in an armchair with his girlfriend held in his lap. The raven-haired girl beamed as she spoke to a blue-haired man, Justin’s arm never leaving her. Alex could relate with Anne, she never wanted to let go of her.

“I hope they don’t ask too many questions,” said Anne, her voice still so quiet. The loudest sound she’d emitted since Alex had cracked open that crystal was a shriek as she’d fallen into Alex’s arms, sending both of them crashing to the ground in Pandoria. Alex had lain there, stunned, for a moment before she’d thrown her arms around Anne and kissed her cheeks, her nose, her face, everything. Anne had been weak, though she’d revived a lot once she’d set foot into the cold air of Jorvik. She hadn’t even complained about being in a swamp, so glad to be home.

“Don’t worry,” said a friendly voice, and Alex turned to see Louisa smiling at them. “Thomas threw this private get-together for his son. No questions, just rest and relaxation.” Alex had been too focused on her girlfriend before, but now she noticed that, indeed, the music was turned down and all conversations were muted. There wasn’t even a Christmas cracker in sight.

“Thank you,” said Alex, glancing at the man who stood by the fire with a cup of eggnog and a warm smile on his face.

Alex made her way through the crowded room, finding a comfy, overstuffed armchair in a corner. She sat down, Anne curling up in her lap, and stroked her fingers through Anne’s hair. Pink dust puffed into the air, but neither of them minded. Alex was still reliving the moment when the large crystal had fallen and her heart had almost stopped. It had teetered at first, on the edge of the cliff, and then it had fallen forward, Tin Can bolting away to safety. But Alex had jumped off his back, rolled once, and then stepped towards the crystal. Anne had looked up at her with frightened eyes, and Alex had never felt so terrified as she did when she broke open that crystal. She’d leaned the crystal up against the remains of the magnet, surprised to find it so light, so that Anne wouldn’t have fragments of crystal fall on top of her.

She hadn’t told Anne yet that Concorde was gone. And Anne hadn’t asked, to her relief. She hadn’t really said anything, which was unusual for the social butterfly. Usually, she could be seen flitting through parties, making conversation and collecting gossip. But, holding Anne in her arms, Alex didn’t mind at all that her girlfriend was quieter than usual. She was in shock, surprised to even be alive. Alex looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching her over the wood floor.

“You got her back,” said Lisa, smiling. Alex smiled up at her, and Anne gave Lisa a lazy look before closing her eyes and resting her head on Alex’s chest.

“Yeah,” said Alex softly, her hand still stroking over Anne’s hair. “No one else was going to do it, so I took matters into my own hands.”

“That’s the Soul Rider way,” said Lisa with a nod. She didn’t tease Alex about how she hadn’t been that desperate to rescue Justin. Alex was glad for that.

“I didn’t do this for us,” said Alex. Lisa nodded again, understanding.

On the other side of the room, Justin and Zelda were slightly livelier than the other reunited couple. Justin’s arm was a warm band around Zelda’s waist, comforting in a way that not much else could be. She smiled as she looked at him, every fibre of her being humming with happiness. Justin was here for Christmas. All she’d wanted. They’d already had their Christmas party, but, when Thomas had learned that Justin had been broken out of his prison, he’d worked with Mrs Holdsworth for hours to bake a few dozen tiny fruit pies, a chicken (there was no time for turkey), ham, and baked vegetables. There were also bread rolls, bought from the shops (no time to bake fresh), and lots of gingerbread and other cookies. Also a fruitcake and eggnog, and of course hot cocoa infused with peppermint.

“Looks like someone was a busy girl,” Justin murmured, seeing the happy couple in a snoozy little pile across the room.

“Was she there to break you out too?” asked Zelda, looking at Alex gratefully. Alex didn’t see, too busy looking at Anne. She hadn’t stopped looking at her girlfriend since she’d gotten here, but Zelda was doing the same with Justin so she couldn’t judge.

“Yeah,” said Justin. “Ronja was the one who blew a hole in the wall, but Alex was there too. Maybe she helped with the explosives, I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

“I’m sure it’ll all come out later,” said Zelda. She shook her head. “But I’m not going to think about that. Not yet. I’ll think about that later.” Justin chuckled. The future could wait. Now was… now was perfect. Beautiful. Better than he’d expected, better than he’d ever even dreamed of. There was nothing that could compare with this, nothing so good as having his girlfriend by his side after he’d thought for sure that he might die in prison.

Across Jorvik, other small reunions were taking place. A young girl walked ahead of a black pony, a rope tied around his neck and head acting as a halter and leadrope combination. One of her shoes was missing, the other untied. One foot was bare, the sock long gone. But, despite her rather ragged appearance, there was a grin on the girl’s face and fire in her eyes.

It had been a tough rescue mission, yes. But, it being Christmas, security at the warehouse had been lax, and Madison had been able to crawl through the air conditioning ducts, drop through a vent onto the upper platform, and then scamper down to the caged horses, where she’d unlocked the cages and let everyone out. Nightdust had looked sick, but he’d brightened upon seeing her and had run to her, nosing her not for food but for comfort. Madison had giggled, tears of joy streaming down her face, and then she’d carefully tied the rope around his neck and led him home, the other horses herding around them and keeping them safe, even as they’d walked along roads empty from holiday travellers and through the tunnel near Dundull. She’d lost her shoe along the way, then her sock, but she hadn’t really noticed. Nor had she cared. Nightdust had been too sore to ride. 

Now, Nightdust was still limping, and Madison could tell that one of his poor hooves was sore. She didn’t know how he was injured, but she was sure that the Hermit could tell her. Tomorrow. It could wait until tomorrow.

Erik looked up from his phone, where he’d been making frantic phonecalls for hours, when he heard the limping steps of a horse. It sounded strange, as though the horse had only a mixture of shoes and bare hooves. And there was the shuffle of a limp there, too.

“Madison!” he cried, running down the road, his earlier anger forgotten. She’d gone missing after opening her presents that morning, and at first he’d thought that she was just visiting her great grandfather, the Hermit. Worry had turned to anger that she’d run off and ruined Christmas Day. But now, she was back here. And behind her came a horse, one who looked to be on death’s door but who didn’t ever stop, not until they reached the farm.

“Daddy!” Madison cried upon seeing him, and allowed herself to be scooped up into her father’s arms, hugging him gratefully.

“Oh, Madison, I was so worried, where were you?” asked Erik, looking at her.

“I had to bring Nightdust home, dad,” said Madison, tears in her eyes. “He’s all I ever wanted for Christmas, just to have him home with me.” She sniffled, and Erik squeezed her tighter.

“Alright, sweetie, you got your pony for Christmas,” said Erik, petting her hair soothingly. Nightdust made it to the middle of the farm, heading for the water that he could smell, but then he fell, collapsing onto his side.

“Nightdust!” Madison cried, running to his side and kneeling, not caring how she skinned her knees. Nightdust panted, his sides flecked with foam, and neighed weakly, lifting his head once before letting it fall and closing his eyes.

Erik and Jonas, working together, managed to move Nightdust to one of the animal buildings, clearing out some things. Madison covered the ground with clean, fresh hay, the way the Hermit had shown her, and then just stood watching while the two men worked on the horse.

Hours passed, and it got very late, but still, Madison did not sleep. She just stood in the doorway, tears in her eyes, worry making her tremble.

At last, Nightdust lifted his head and nickered at the little girl. Madison sobbed and ran to him, kneeling in front of him and hugging him around the neck. He was here. He was alive. Hurt and sick, but alive. It was a Christmas miracle.

Jorvik Stables had its own Christmas miracle, too. The party had already wound down, not that it had been all that lively to begin with. But, when a large shape appeared at the gates, Johanna gasped and dropped her glass.

“I’m home,” said Herman with a chuckle as the stable girl ran to him and hugged him. “Security is unsurprisingly lax on Christmas Day.”

On the Goldspur farm, a long-lost grandmother strode into the room, surprising everyone, and slapped Jack Goldspur across the face.

“I should have never made you sitting mayor!” she snapped while Jack rubbed his face.

Despite her entrance, her husband embraced her, just so glad that she was home. Her children and grandchildren, too, rushed to embrace her, crying tears of joy.

Across Jorvik, cats came home, to curl up in front of fires and snuggle up in laps. And, in Moorland stables, a bedraggled Pegasus walked into the stable and was immediately petted and cared for by a stunned Maya. Finally, she could do something useful.

Even in the darkness of Dark Core, a Christmas reunion had taken place. Elise, or Nihili as she preferred to be called, had come through the portal just after midnight, glowing with power. Now, she lay in the bed she shared with her girlfriend, their limbs tangled together and their bodies exhausted but happy in their souls. For as dark as they were, they still had souls, those little bits of energy that gave them their life force. Their souls were linked, and right now, that link was alive with happiness and love and gratitude. For Darko, for bringing her here. For Garnok, for giving them the power. And for the Christmas miracle that had ultimately brought them together.


End file.
